Welding



April 7, 1942. H HRUBSA L 2,278,569

WELDING Filed May 24, 1940 v k 4 JJ INVENTO HARRY SH BSALL BY a ATTOR N EY AFI o 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

. 40 The poration of Ohio Air Products Company, a cor- Application May 24, 1940, Serial No. 336.921

1: Claims. (cl. 219-) This invention relates to electric welding and more particularly to an improved method of and apparatus for restarting an electric welding operatlon. Many electric welding operations involve the 5 use of what is known as a flux or welding material. In some instances, these fluxes are-applied in the form of coatings onthe electrode or welding rod while in other instances they are separately deposited on the work in the region 'of the i0 welding operation.

In one method of electric welding. a welding material is used which comprises an unbonded comminuted material composedchiefly oi silicatesof the alkaline earth metals (magnesium l8 beingconsideredtobeoneofthisfamilyof metals) substantially free from materials which form deleterious amounts or gas atwelding temperatures. 'rhisweldingmaterialisusuallyprefused to complete chemiealreactionbetween the ingredientsandissubsequentlycnishedorgrormd In this welding method. a quantity of such materialisplmed on the surfaces to be united by welding. Theelectrode isinserted into thematcrial, and an electric currentis along a main path through the material from the end of the electrode'to the work, the end of the electrode being enclosed or blanketed by the welding material. This current is oi sumcient magnitude to melt progressive portions of the electrode within said material and to heat and melt progressive quantities or the material. This welding material is substantially'non-conductive when cold and offers a relatively highresistance to the 15v passage oi-the'welding current. The heating efiect due to the electrical-resistance of the material causes a progressive increase in its conductivity as higher temperatures are approached;

' When the flow'of electric current through the 40 material is stopped, either by intent or by accidental interruption, some of the material which a has been fused tends to freeze on the end oi the electrode. In its solidified state, it has enough electrical resistance to prevent the passage 0! an If the electrode used is formed of carbon or other relatively fragile material. the ends of the elec trode are often broken ofl. This results in considerable wastage of electrode material and of time. and extra work is required to reset the such difliculties are encountered chiefly when using a bare carbon electrode, they may also be encountered in using a metallic electrode coated with a flux of the type described or any other type which is substantially non-conductive at normal temperatures.

It is therefore among the objects of this invention to provide. in welding operations using a welding material or flux which is a poor conductor when cold, a method of and apparatus for re-starting the flow of electric current between an electrode and the work when the electric current flow has been interrupted: to providesuch a method in which damaging or breaking of relatively fragile electrodes will be substantially eliminated; to provide such a method and apparatus in which the welding operation may be re-started without resetting the electrode: and to provide a simple and reliable method of and apparatus for re-starting the flow of current between the electrode and the work through a non-conductive welding material or flux.

These and other objects of the invention will be vapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation, partly in section, oi one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of a .modifled' form of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3.

Generally speaking, the objects of the invention are accomplished by heating the solidified welding material or flux independently of the main welding current. Preferably, an auxiliary highly conductive current-conducting path is established through an unfused portion of the welding material from the electrode to the work in I parallel with the main welding current path.

The heating eflect of the current flowing along this auxiliary path will cause the flux or welding material which has fused and solidified on the end of the welding electrode due to interruption ofcurrent flow in the main current path, to become heated, thus lowering its resistance and permitting the flow of current along the main welding current path between the operative end of the main electrode and the work to be reestablished.

Referring to the drawing. the invention is illustrated as applied to the above-mentioned elecelectrode to maintain its proper position. ,While u tric welding method in which a quantity oi gran- 2 smasce ular welding material G, or relatively high elecerably in contact with a pad of steel wool or trlcal resistance when cold, is placed in contact other suitable material 18. Releasable means with the work indicated at W. An uncoated main such as a set screw 22 is provided for holding welding electrode E is arranged with its lower or the wire in fixed position in passage 32. its the operative end inserted in the material G, and 5 wire is burned away in successive re-startlng Up. the electrode may be clamped or otherwise Sceratlcns, set screw 22 may be loosened and more cured in current conducting means or members. wire may be withdrawn from the reel 30. In all v such as contact jaws, plates or clamps J, which instances, the end or the wir is, bent b h nd may form part of a suitable welding apparatus. into a position adjacent the work.

The electric current, when established. flow Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of the above alo g a a e d Current P 1m e l embodiment of the invention, in which the neces- J through electrodeE and material G to the work 1 g bending the em} 1 the wire by hand is jWi The current is of sufficient magnitude eliminated. For this purpose. a passage 38 is melt progressive portions of the electrode sub rllled diagonally through t ew J at s h an merged in the welding material and to fi1seprol5 angle to the axis of the e c ts-orig th t t gressive quantities of the material. fue ed lower end of the wire it will :ilontact the work material forms a molten slag floating top oi W or the pad it close to t not in contact with the molten metal behind l rode E. ive end of and the end of the electro l and blanketed by a deep layer oi When the flow eiccti this molten slag solid lower end ll of electrode is highly resistant to the fin and normally must be rcmo starting of the welding oper In accordance with the pr t tion as illustrated in Fig. i, l trode such as a wire Ill is operatively secured in it wrap wi swung t Elect electrical contact with the jaws J, as by heil'ig so image we the lidified ins d in an auxiliary ve r passage it, awn a. A current en-L to the Wo which may be provided in the electrode engagteel 1 l. ing face of one of the jaws J. The auxiliary thi i t i electrode or wire in is in engagement with electh t rl trode E and jaw J. Its .free end extends beyond current may be e i the electrode E and jaw J and is bent away from in contact with the wort; it electrode E to extend in spaced substantially therefrom,

to provide sudici refusing oi the wt lung in ,linothcr method oi accomplishparallel relation thereto. If desired, a piece or The wire used is desirably metallic wire or steel wool or other electrically conductive marod of such a composition that the small amount terial I8 is placed between th end of the wire 40 that becomes alloyed with the weld metal will do I0 and the work W. When the flow of current no harm. In most instances a plain low carbon is resumed, the current will pass along an auxsteel welding rod or wire about one-eighth inch iliary path from the Jaws J through the wire ID in diameter will be satisfactory.

and the pad I8 to the work W. The flow of The invention is particularly adaptable to use current causes the pad I8 to melt or burn, and wherever the mechanical removal of a hon-conheats the welding material. As the material beductive slag from the end. of the electrode is comes molten, the slag S formed on the end of liable to result in breaking of the electrode. This the electrode E likewise becomes molten and its condition is encountered most frequently when resistance decreases. This permits the passage carbon or graphite electrodes are used in the oi relatively large currents along the main ourpresence of a. fairly large amount of flux or weldrent path between the electrode E and the work ing material, but would be encountered also it W through the material G, thus restoring the metal electrodes were used ii such electrodes welding operation to its normal condition of op were covered with comparatively fragile coatings eration. containing alloys that are necessary to produce In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the desired composition of the weld metal. In in Fig. 2, a bore or passage 20 may be formed, the latter when it is attempted to remove in one of the jaws J, in spaced relation to electhe solidified slag mechanically, the forceful hantrode E, to receive the wire H! which may be held dling of the electrode will cause pieces of the therein by releasable means such as a suitable relatively fragile or brittle coating to break of! set screw 22. In this embodiment of the invenfrom e e ectr n que t y. he weldin tion, the wire may be bent as at 24 so that the results will be non-uniform due to the fact that lower or free end thereof is disposed substanportions of the electrode will be bare and other tially beneath and in spaced relation to the end portions will be coated. of the main electrode E and the pad l8 likewise While certain embodiments oi the invention may be disposed immediately beneath the end or have been illustrated and described in detail, it the electrode E. This embodiment of the invenwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that tion functions in the same manner as that of the invention may be otherwise embodied, and Fig. 1. the dimensions and interrelations of parts A preferred arrangement is illustrated in Fig. changed without departing from the spirit. and

3, wherein a large coil of the wire l0 may be scope of the invention as defined in the apwound upon a reel 30 and threaded through a pended claims.

passage 32 drilled longitudinally through one of What is claimed is:

the laws or clamps J. The lower end of the wire 1. In a welding operation in which the end of may be bent as at 34 and disposed substantially a fusible electrode is inserted beneath a blanket beneath the lower end of the electrode E, preiof welding material, which is a poor conductor when cold, and an electric current flows along .a main path from the end of said electrode through said welding material to the work to be welded and is of suillclent magnitude to melt progressive portions of said electrode and to fus at least -a portion of said material, the method of restarting the flow of electric current between such electrode and the work, when such fiow of current has been interrupted and fused welding material has solidified and formed a substantially non-conductive slag upon the end of the electrode, which comprises establishing an auxiliary path for the flow of electric current through said welding material from said electrode to the work to refuse such welding material and re-establish such main current path.

2. In electric welding operations in which the welding current flows from a source of electric current through a main electrode to the work through a fusible welding material which is a poor conductor when cold and which forms a solidified substantially non-conductive slag on the end of the electrode when the flow of current is interrupted; the method of re-establishing the flow of welding current to the workwhich comprises placing an auxiliary electrode in operative association with said source of current and the work, and causing current to flow from said auxiliary electrode through said material to the work to refuse said solidified material and permit the fiow of welding current from said main electrode to the work.

a 3. The method of refusing welding material which is a poor conductor when cold and which has been fused and has solidified upon the operative end of a welding electrode which comprises heating said material by an electric current flowing along a highly conductive path in parallel with said electrode.

4. The method of refusing welding material which is a poor conductor when cold and which has solidified upon the end of an electrode inserted in said material due to the interruption of the flow of current along a main path including said electrode and said material which com-..

prises passing electric current through an unfused portion of said material along an auxiliary, highly conductive path independently of said electrode.

5. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a welding electrode; a pair of contact jaws engaging said welding electrode to conduct electric current thereto; and a metallic wire secured to at least one of said contact jaws and extending therebeyond.

6. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; a pair of currentcarrying contact jaws engaging said main electrode; and an auxiliary electrode operatively associated with at least one 0! said jaws, the portion of said jaw engaging said main electrode being formed with a groove to operatively receive said auxiliary electrode.

7. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; an auxiliary electrode; a pair of current-carrying contact jaws operatively engaging said main electrode, one of said jaws being formed with a passage operatively receiving said auxiliary electrode; and means for retaining said auxiliary electrode in said passage.

8. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; a current-carrying contact jaw operatively engaging said main electrode, said jaw having a passage extending longitudinally therethrough; a coil or wire, one end of which extends through said passage and beyond said jaw; and means for maintaining said wire in fixed position in said passage.

9. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; current-conducting means operatively associated with said main electrode; and an auxiliary electrode having one end operatively secured to said means in spaced relation to said main electrode, the free end of said auxiliary electrode being bent toextend beneath and in spaced relation to the lower end of said main electrode.

10. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; a current-carrying contact jaw having a face operatively engaging said main electrode; a groove formed in said face; and an auxiliary electrode disposed in said groove in engagement with said main electrode and said contact jaw.

11. Electric welding apparatus as claimed in claim 10, in which one end of said auxiliary electrode extends beyond said contact jaw and the end oi! said main electrode, the end of said auxiliary electrode being bent away from said main electrode to extend in spaced substantially parallel relation thereto.

12. Electric welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a main electrode; a current-carrying contact jaw operatively engaging said main electrode, said jaw having a passage drilled therethrough at an angle to the axis of said main electrode; and a coil of wire, one end of which extends through said passage and beyond said jaw-to a point adjacent to but not in contact with the operative end of said main electrode.

13. Electric welding apparatus as claimed in claim 12, including releasable means for maintaining said wire in fixed position in said passage.

HARRY SHRUBSALL. 

